Is Renegade University Just Another Scam?

Renegade University is an online training program started by Mike Klingler in early 2008. The program was created as a support system primarily for people who had purchased either The Renegade Network Marketer, by Ann Sieg, or Magnetic Sponsoring, by Mike Dillard. Both of those resources introduced people to the concept of InterNetwork Marketing, also often referred to as attraction marketing.

The information contained in these resources is often overwhelming in its scope, and Renegade University brands itself as highly detailed, but easy to digest, training in how to apply the principles presented in Ann Sieg's and Mike Dillards course books. The method of training is primarily step-by-step videos that walk the student through each topic, so by the end of the lesson they will have actually accomplished the task covered and gained some practical knowledge of how to apply abstract theories to real world scenarios.

There are two different membership levels at Renegade University. There is a free Student membership, which grants access to a limited number of introductory training videos, and a Professional membership, which grants access to the entire library of tutorials and resources. The cost of this is membership is $39 per month.

The University has an affiliate program that Professional members may participate in. Affiliate programs are certainly nothing new, and a growing number of online businesses have created their own affiliate programs, including Amazon.com, SiteBuildIt!, and Yahoo. At Renegade University, every time a Professional member refers a new Student, they are considered their personal guide, or tutor, and if that student later upgrades to a Professional membership themselves, $18 of their monthly membership fee will go to their personal Guide, as long as the Guide is maintaining their own Professional membership. This is really what all the controversy behind Renegade University is based on.

The reason the affiliate program of Renegade University has led to controversy is because affiliates have the ability to generate income by referring people to the program. For many people this is a radical idea and they instantly assume it's just a money-making scam. These are generally the same people who believe all network marketing companies are actually illegal pyramid schemes. In both cases, if the company is providing something of value (a real product or service) that is separate from the money making opportunity, then it is considered perfectly legitimate. Determination of value can be somehwhat objective, and how individual representatives choose to market themselves can vary widely.

Network marketing companies and affiliate programs can and do attract bottom feeders who see the opportunity to make a quick buck. Even though they are a small minority, they are very visible. These are the brash marketers shouting to anyone within range about their opportunity. They don't care how their actions affect the community or the company as a whole. They are selfish marketers and can't see past their next commission check.

When a company such as Renegade University initiates an affiliate program, critics will assume it's also just to make a quick buck. By encouraging students to go out and promote Renegade University to others, the critics believe they are just creating a marketing force for themselves, and will reap the monetary benefits. This is certainly one possibility, and it is something I considered when I was first evaluating the program.

I have only been involved with network marketing for a few years, but I have had a crash course in what differentiates scams from legitimate companies. The first company I joined was shut down by the FTC for being an illegal pyramid. I didn't want that to happen to me again, so I learned what to look for in a company as well as a sponsor, and to spot the signs of a scam.

When someone like Ann Sieg or Mike Klingler incorporates an affiliate plan into their system, there are two ways to interpret that action. First, they are trying to enlist the help of a bunch of desperate suckers who will market their product to other desperate suckers and thus make the programs a lot of money. The second option is that they are providing their affiliates with the means to generate revenue from their marketing while they are learning to create and build a business based on themselves and what they can inevitably offer to others. Until they have established their own credibility, though, affiliates can leverage the credibility of the programs they are associated with. The best way to determine what the motivations of the programs are is to evaluate the value of the content they provide on their own, and look for examples of people that have used it to create their own personal success.

In the case of the Renegade Network Marketer, the amount of content within the e-book and the accompanying back-office is staggering when you consider there is only a one-time cost of $67. Even if someone requests a full refund within 90 days, they get to keep the e-book and other bonus material. Additionally, Ann has continually added new content, recorded webinars and other valuable information to what was already provided.

Mike is one of the most compelling success stories of the Renegade Network Marketer. He has taken the principles taught there to create his own successful business. By providing training for the growing number of Renegade users, he was filling a need in the marketplace, and quickly established himself as a solutions provider. The most controversial decision he made was to charge a monthly fee and create an affiliate plan to go with it.

The monthly fee in and of itself is not so controversial. There are plenty of training programs that charge a lot more for less content. Mike could have left it at that and kept the entire monthly fee for himself. Instead, he shares nearly half of the fee as an affiliate commission. One could argue that by creating the affiliate program, Mike will generate a lot more revenue overall because a lot more people will be willing to pay the fee if they think they can make money with it. That's certainly one possibility, so again it comes down to value.

Renegade University is continually being updated with new tutorials and related webinars. Mike has estabished support blogs that further educate the students about all kinds of related topics. He is creating a Guides program which will further reward the students who are utilizing the lessons and creating their own valuable content. Will all of these efforts result in further promotion of Renegade University? Yes, of course they will. But what is so clearly demonstrated is that Mike is focused on providing value first and foremost. His training repeatedly emphasizes the importance of this to his students.

The best way to assess the value of what Renegade University has to offer is to look for yourself. You can sign up at Renegade University for free and take advantage of the tutorials provided there. You can then upgrade to a Professional membership for $1, which will give you unhindered access to everything the program has to offer in the back office; all the training videos, marketing materials, and past webinars. After one week, if you don't agree it's worth $39 a month, simply cancel your membership. I don't believe Mike would grant this kind of access if he was simply trying to make some fast money. He is confident in the value he is providing, and the one-week trial offer is proof of that.

Affiliate programs, such as the one at Renegade University, are a way to reward the efforts of students who are applying the principles and attracting people through their marketing efforts. They aren't meant to be a primary source of income, though. Rather, they are part of an income stream that has many different tributaries. There will be people who don't understand this, but the more people start using these resources properly, the more compelling the evidence will become.

In closing, it is important to keep in mind that The Renegade Network Marketer was only established a little over a year ago. Renegade University has only been around about half that time. These programs are not meant to bring overnight success. They are both emphasizing a learning process that takes time, but will lead to longer-lasting results. This is still in its infancy. In another year, I believe it will be a lot clearer to the skeptics that this is the right way to go.